Saxony-Anhalt leads the cycling pack
For example, "Weltrad", from Schönebeck on the river Elbe. This brand was resurrected eight years ago by René Leue (39) and Göran Scherf (43). Ever since they have been combining nostalgia with modern technology, demand for the Weltrad bikes has been increasing, year on year. And it shouldn't surprise anyone, since an excellent ride and a nostalgic retro look combined with the latest technology make the Weltrad bikes a genuine experience. The company is now so successful that in 2011 it bought 8,000 square meters of space near the river Elbe in Schönebeck: now they have a bigger manufacturing facility, a nostalgic sales room, a modern bicycle shop as well as a restaurant and bed and breakfast for customers from all over the world. And, of course, there is also the Elbe Cycle Path for test rides: the perfect all around service for the perfect bicycle.
The Schindelauer bike with no chain
The next bicycle company is to be found in a back yard in Magdeburg - two kilometres as the crow flies from the Elbe Cycle Path: c2g-engineering GmbH, owned by Martin Schellhase, Manuel Holstein, Jörg Schindelhauer and Stephan Zehren. Since 2009, these four young entrepreneurs have been developing and building the 'Schindelhauer Bike', an especially innovative two wheeler - as it doesn't have a chain but a belt drive. When Jörg Schindelhauer and his partners discovered the belt by the company Gates, which is made of weather proof polyurethane and rigid carbon fibres that can carry traction forces, the 'Schindelhauer Bike' was born.
The biggest problem encountered during the development: since a toothed belt is endless and cannot be opened, but a bicycle chain has many joints and is also easy to open, it was necessary to find a way to be able to open the frame so that the belt could be placed on the hubs and tightened. The company now has two patents.
The first 100 Schindelhauer bicycles were sold in 2009 - this year the number is set to exceed 1,000. Thanks to the maintenance free toothed belt they speed almost silently through the countryside. And the Gates Carbon Drive Belt (lifespan of 20,000 kilometres) guarantees that annoying chain lubrication and dirty trouser legs are things of the past.
The steel frame that makes the difference
In the Magdeburg Sciences Port right on the Elbe Cycle Path construction of the next bicycle production plant is currently underway: it is here, in a former warehouse, that from June 2012 onwards the legendary Hardo Wagner bikes are to be manufactured - sturdy bicycles for world tours or urban cyclists. Until now the bike has been built by Magdeburg local Hans Pfeiffer (58) in Braunschweig. With his partners and friends Ralf Artus and Markus Rosam he is now expanding production to Magdeburg. Total investment: 1.6 million Euros. They have already received enquiries from dealers in Germany and Europe. The exceptional thing about these bikes is their sophisticated geometry and their steel frames. The modern, highly developed steel tubes mean it is possible to construct light and yet laterally rigid steel frames for bicycles. And there is even more: the Hardo Wagner frames which are tailored to the individual size of the cyclist guarantee high ride comfort - especially important over long routes. In fact, a customer who requires a distance of 56 centimetres between the pedals and saddle also gets this frame measurement. The frames are made from high quality tubes by Italian company Dedacciai which has a superb world-wide reputation: "These tubes guarantee the extreme tensile strength and load bearing capacity that our wheels require" explains Ralf Artus. This not only means a perfect, relaxed sitting position is guaranteed, it also means the Hardo Wagner Bikes are ideal for long distances: even if the bike is loaded with heavy baggage, the sporty riding attributes of a quiet ride and balanced cornering are maintained. In addition to their traditional levels of demand, the managers of the new bicycle factory also want to benefit from the knock-on effect of the Elbe cycle path: "We hope curious and interested cyclists will drop by for a repair or just to take a break at the Sciences Port and take the opportunity to find out about our products," explains Ralf Artus.
MIFA continues to surprise
Saxony-Anhalt's most successful bicycles manufacturer, in contrast, also has its location in the state - in Sangerhausen. The Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke (MIFA) is Germany's most successful bicycles manufacturer, having sold 644,000 bicycles in 2011 (with sales revenues of 100.5 million Euros). The secret to their success: MIFA has its own brands of bicycle and also manufactures bicycles for big retail chains such as ALDI, Metro and Edeka.
MIFA employs nearly 500 members of staff and takes on another 350 helpers during its main production time in spring. Staff work in three shifts around the clock, seven days a week. Since 2011, E-bikes have also been built in Sangerhausen - a good 5,000 units for bulk buyers. "E-bikes have been a shot in the arm for the entire sector" explained current Sole Managing Director Peter Wicht at the 50th Salutaris round of talks in Munich on 15 December 2011. Together with Michael Lehmann, he took over the old state owned company after German reunification and by the year 2000, MIFA was already a profitable company. In previous years MIFA has always provided positive surprises: in 2004 the business was converted into a public limited company. At the end of 2011, financial investor and AWD founder Carsten Maschmeyer took over 29 percent of the Mitteldeutsche Fahrradwerke - and he now owns approximately 33 percent. The most recent coup: MIFA has taken over German E-bike manufacturers Grace GmbH & Co. KG. The company offers exceptionally innovative and high quality electric bikes in the high end prices segment. "This takeover has made us a service provider in the premium segment and that means a secure form of future growth for MIFA, especially with Generation Apple" explained MIFA Director Peter Wicht on signing the contract. Incidentally: the market price for a standard E-bike is in the region of 2,400 Euros. In 2011, around 310,000 E-bikes were sold in Germany alone.
Autor: Thomas Pfundtner
Foto: IMG